Power outages leave 200,000 without heating in Kyiv: Red Cross

Large-scale power and heating disruptions in and around Kyiv have left around 200,000 people without essential services as winter temperatures grip Ukraine, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said on Tuesday.

The IFRC said in a statement that ongoing attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure have caused damage to electricity and heating networks in the capital and surrounding districts. Around 800 residential buildings in Kyiv City are currently without heating and electricity, while nearby areas including Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel have been among the hardest hit, with heating systems described as almost completely down.

The Ukrainian Red Cross, with support from the IFRC and other partners, is scaling up its emergency response to assist people affected by the outages, according to the statement. Red Cross said its teams are working in close coordination with Ukraine's State Emergency Service to provide hot meals and warm drinks, as well as phone charging stations, at designated heating points across Kyiv and its suburbs.

The IFRC said the response is currently reaching around 700 people each day. Psychosocial support is also being provided, with 10 psychologists and trained volunteers deployed to help residents cope with stress and trauma linked to the ongoing attacks and prolonged power disruptions.

Emergency repairs to damaged energy systems are underway, but the IFRC warned that further strikes on critical infrastructure remain likely, increasing the risk of prolonged outages during winter conditions.